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Best content in Geopolitics Weekly | Diigo - GroupsFri, 22 May 2009 08:46:35 -0000Fri, 22 May 2009 08:46:35 -0000BBC NEWS | Europe | Russia alarmed over new EU pacthttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8061042.stm
<p><strong>Highlights and Sticky Notes:</strong><p><div class="content"><div class="annInner">"We would not want the Eastern Partnership to turn into partnership against Russia. There are various examples," Mr Mevedev told a news conference at the end of the summit.</div></div></p><p><div class="content"><div class="annInner"><p>Moscow has accused the 27-member bloc of creating new dividing lines in Europe by offering closer ties to six former Soviet republics. </p><p>The Eastern Partnership Initiative aims to forge close political and economic ties in exchange for democratic reforms. </p><p>Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine have signed up to the initiative, which seeks to bolster stability in the region. </p><p>However it does not offer the prospect of eventual EU membership. </p></div></div></p><p><div class="content"><div class="annInner"><p>Russia supplies more than a quarter of EU gas needs. Its decision to cut all gas to Ukraine - a vital transit country - meant that many EU member states also lost their supplies of gas for two weeks in January. </p><p>Speaking in Khabarovsk, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso warned there should be no more disruptions to gas supplies from Russia.
</p></div></div></p><p><div class="content"><div class="annInner"><p>On the divisive issue of energy supplies, President Medvedev raised questions about whether Ukraine can afford billions of dollars to top up its gas stocks. </p><p>"We have doubts about Ukraine's ability to pay," he said. </p><p>He also proposed that Moscow and the EU should help Ukraine get a loan for gas payments. </p></div></div></p><p><div class="content"><div class="annInner">"I would simply not want this partnership to consolidate certain individual states, which are of an anti-Russian bent, with other European states," he said.</div></div></p><p><p><strong>Tags:</strong> <a href="https://groups.diigo.com/group/argos-media/content/tag/Russia">Russia</a>, <a href="https://groups.diigo.com/group/argos-media/content/tag/EU">EU</a>, <a href="https://groups.diigo.com/group/argos-media/content/tag/%22Eastern+Europe%22">Eastern Europe</a>, <a href="https://groups.diigo.com/group/argos-media/content/tag/%22Eastern+Partnership%22">Eastern Partnership</a>, <a href="https://groups.diigo.com/group/argos-media/content/tag/%22Dmitry+Medvedev%22">Dmitry Medvedev</a></p><p><strong>by:</strong> <a href="https://groups.diigo.com/group/argos-media/content/user/argosmedia" title="View Argos Media's content in group">Argos Media</a></p>Fri, 22 May 2009 08:46:35 -0000